Chapter 142: The Might of the Giant Sword

Chapter 142: The Might of the Giant Sword

‼ [Refine God Technique, Second Layer 85/2000]



After a day of cultivation, Chu Ning checked his proficiency in the Refine God Technique.

It had increased by two points.

At the same time, Chu Ning could also sense that one of the hundred drops of divine sense liquid in his Niwan Palace had grown stronger.

"This Analyze Spirit Fruit truly can strengthen my divine sense!"

Chu Ning was delighted.

Over the next two days, while waiting for Cheng Jinhe to recruit the rest of their party, Chu Ning continued his cultivation.

He cultivated the Blazing Fire Divine Wood Technique to temper his magical power and trained his divine sense while simultaneously analyzing the spirit fruit.

Even in this mundane world with scarce spiritual energy, his cultivation was not too affected.

During this time, Cheng Jinhe and the others would invite him to join them for meals.

He didn't have to worry about food or accommodation anymore.

Three days passed, and on the morning of the fourth day, Chu Ning was continuing to analyze the Seal Sword Symbol.

"Bang! Bang!"

A sudden knock on the door was followed by a voice from outside.

"Young Master Chu, please gather your belongings and meet us in the inn's back courtyard. We're about to set off."

Had they finished recruiting? Chu Ning stood up immediately, grabbed his giant sword, slung the beast hide bag over his shoulder, and headed out.

Outside, one of Cheng Jinhe's companions, whom Chu Ning had met before, was standing with a broad smile on his face.

"Young Master Chu, Cheng has recruited everyone. We're setting off now."

"Alright, let's go."

As Chu Ning followed the companion downstairs, he said with a hint of surprise, "I heard Cheng fretting about the distance of this trip just yesterday, and now he's already gathered everyone?"

"Yes, a few people came yesterday afternoon and this morning, so we're all set."

As the two talked, they made their way to the inn's back courtyard.

In the courtyard were Cheng Jinhe and the short-bearded man named Li Song, along with more than thirty others.

Most of them were dressed like companions and were loading boxes onto the carriage.

There were also six or seven others dressed like Li Song's escorts.

These were probably Cheng Jinhe's original bodyguards, and there were five others dressed differently.

They seemed to be the additional recruits for protection during the transport.

The group naturally sized each other up, and Li Song took the opportunity to introduce everyone.

"This is Young Master Chu Ping..."

Through Li Song's introductions, Chu Ning got to know the four men and one woman.

The oldest among them was a gray-clad man in his forties named Yu Zhengchun. He was taciturn and held an unsheathed dagger in his hand.

There were also two men who looked a few years younger.

One was a skinny man with a whip hanging from his waist, named Dai Zu'en.

The other was a tall and burly man carrying a large copper hammer, named Han Wangan.

The only woman in the group was Du Huarong, a woman in her thirties dressed in tight-fitting clothes. She had an ordinary appearance but carried a few extra pounds. In her hand, she held a longsword.

The last person was a young man named Shen Shaohai, who looked to be around twenty-six or twenty-seven. He was dressed like a scholar and held a fan in his hand.

With just a glance, Chu Ning could tell that the fan was unusual and probably concealed some kind of hidden weapon.

After the introductions, Li Song immediately addressed the group, "Cheng still has buyers waiting, so we're setting off right away. We'll be relying on you all during the journey."

Cheng Jinhe also spoke up, "We'll be counting on you all along the way. As long as we reach our destination safely, Cheng will express my gratitude with generous rewards."

As the group exchanged pleasantries, the companions finished loading the boxes. Li Song then asked the inn servants to bring out several horses.

From their demeanor, it was clear that these were high-quality steeds.

Chu Ning took the reins from one of the servants but didn't rush to mount his horse. Instead, he waited and observed the others.

Once everyone else had mounted their horses, he was the only one left standing on the ground.

Seeing this, the iron fan-wielding Shen Shaohai asked with a smile, "Why isn't Brother Chu mounting his horse? Don't tell me you don't know how to ride?"

Chu Ning smiled back, then nimbly leaped onto his horse's back.

Although he had never ridden a horse before, his body, honed through spiritual energy cultivation and physical tempering, gave him far superior control compared to ordinary mortal warriors.

He had easily picked up the technique by observing how the others had mounted their horses.

"Nice moves!" Shen Shaohai complimented.

"Brother Shen is too kind," Chu Ning replied humbly.

Li Song then assigned everyone their positions in the caravan. Chu Ning, Shen Shaohai, and Han Wangan were placed at the front of the caravan, along with two of their own bodyguards.

Li Song himself walked alongside the newly recruited protectors on either side of the caravan.

Bringing up the rear were their remaining bodyguards, including a man named Yao Rong, who wore two swords at his waist and had a fierce look about him. He seemed to be a leader among the bodyguards, second only to Li Song.

The group departed through the north gate of Yuhuacheng, and the atmosphere was relatively relaxed as they had just started their journey.

After traveling for a while, Shen Shaohai initiated a conversation with Chu Ning, "Brother Chu seems to be a few years younger than me. May I ask which sect you hail from, that you're already venturing out on your own at such a young age?"

Chu Ning shook his head, "I don't belong to any sect. I accidentally picked up some farming techniques, but they're not worth mentioning to Brother Shen."

"I doubt that," Han Wangan interjected.

With his sturdy build, he spoke in a loud, coarse voice.

"This giant sword of yours, Brother Chu, is not a weapon that just anyone can wield."

Chu Ning maintained a calm expression and smiled, "I happen to have a bit of strength, and since I'm not skilled in much else, I figured a heavy sword would make up for my shortcomings."

"Strength is good!" Han Wangan laughed heartily.

"I, Old Han, rely solely on my strength. Brother Chu, why don't we spar during our breaks?"

Chu Ning quickly waved his hands, "No, no, Brother Han. I couldn't take those hammers of yours."

But Chu Ning skillfully deflected his inquiries, revealing nothing of substance.

After a few attempts, Shen Shaohai gave up.

However, throughout the journey, he continued to strike up conversations with Chu Ning and Han Wangan, displaying a familiar and outgoing demeanor.

The three of them walking together created a livelier atmosphere compared to the silent group trailing behind.

After walking like this for most of the day, the middle-aged woman, Du Huarong, rode her horse up to join them.

Upon seeing her, Han Wangan chuckled.

"Big Sister Du, did you come to the front especially because you fancy me, or these two young fellows here?"

"Puh!" Du Huarong gave him a light rebuke, then smiled sweetly. "I just felt bored at the back, so I came to chat with you two young brothers.

I wouldn't look at a brute like you."

"Don't just look at appearances," Han Wangan said with a laugh. "There are plenty of men who are all flash and no substance."

As he finished speaking, he seemed to realize something and awkwardly smiled at Chu Ning and Shen Shaohai.

"My apologies, brothers. I didn't mean to imply that about you..."

With Du Huarong's addition, the group's dynamic became even more cheerful.

In the blink of an eye, nearly a month had passed since they set out.

This month hadn't been entirely peaceful, as they had encountered two or three groups of petty thieves along the way.

However, most of them were swiftly dealt with by the escorts, with only the hot-tempered Han Wangan eagerly jumping into the fray once.

The rest of the group hadn't needed to get involved.

This was as per Li Song's prior instructions—they wouldn't need to intervene unless they faced a large group or a particularly tricky situation.

That night, the caravan stopped at a place called Emerald Plateau, as the nearest town was still half a day's journey away.

They had no choice but to make camp in the open wilderness, choosing a relatively spacious area.

Once everyone was settled, Cheng Jinhe approached Chu Ning and the others, accompanied by Li Song.

As the employer, Cheng Jinhe was quite considerate. Throughout the journey, although he rode in a carriage, he would always join the group whenever they stopped to rest.

He didn't hesitate to pitch in with menial tasks like distributing food and cooking.

Whether it was toward the companions or the recruited warriors like Chu Ning, he was always polite and courteous.

Whenever they passed through a larger settlement, he would treat everyone to fine wine and food.

Indeed, he embodied the saying 'harmony brings fortune'.

At this moment, Cheng Jinhe was handing out dried provisions to the group.

"I apologize for having you brave warriors sleep outdoors tonight. Please keep a close watch during the night, and I will prepare good wine and food once we reach the town tomorrow."

Cheng Jinhe's words were met with a boisterous response from Han Wangan.

"Boss Cheng, you're too kind. We've been eating and drinking well on this trip, so what's one night of hardship?

We're used to roughing it. It's no trouble at all."

Although Chu Ning and the others remained silent, their expressions mirrored Han Wangan's sentiment.

Cheng Jinhe expressed his gratitude with a sincere look.

At this point, Li Song spoke up in a low voice.

"Everyone, tonight we'll take turns keeping watch. There's a band of horse thieves active in this area, so we need to be extra vigilant."

He then proceeded to divide them into shifts.

Chu Ning and the others who had been at the forefront of the caravan, along with Li Song, were assigned to the first half of the night.

The rest would take over for the latter half.

Everyone agreed without objection. After eating their fill of dried food, those not on duty settled down to sleep, and the caravan gradually grew quiet.

Those on watch kept themselves occupied in various ways.

Li Song climbed up a tall tree and sat cross-legged on a branch, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.

Han Wangan paced restlessly, looking bored.

Du Huarong sat by the campfire, sewing, an uncharacteristic image for a wandering martial artist.

Shen Shaohai, on the other hand, was carving something with a small knife into a tree root.

As for Chu Ning, he sat with his legs crossed, eyes closed, appearing to be resting and recuperating.

With so many people around, it wasn't appropriate for him to cultivate the Blazing Fire Divine Wood Technique, as even with his utmost control, there would still be faint fluctuations of spiritual power.

Chu Ning didn't want to draw unnecessary attention.

So, whenever they stayed at inns or other private places, he would cultivate his technique.

Out in the open, however, he focused on cultivating the Refine God Technique.

At this moment, Chu Ning's mind was immersed in deciphering and comprehending the intermediate-lower tier of a talisman technique called the Xuan Water Spirit Talisman.

He had already completed deciphering the Seal Sword Symbol, and now he could effortlessly create high-quality Seal Sword Symbols just by thinking about it.

Thus, he turned his attention to the Xuan Water Spirit Talisman.

This was one of the intermediate-lower tier talismans he had purchased from Yunhai Pavilion.

Through his attempts, Chu Ning discovered that when deciphering a talisman technique for the first time, he had to carefully study the talisman to comprehend the talisman seals.

However, once he reached a certain level of understanding, the talisman seals would be imprinted in his mind.

From then on, whenever he wanted to decipher and comprehend the talisman, he could do so by meditating and gradually unraveling the principles of the talisman seals in his mind.

This made it convenient for him to pass the time during the journey.

Sometimes, even while riding on horseback, he could pretend to be resting and use that time to explore this art of talisman deciphering.

After an unknown period, Chu Ning's eyes twitched slightly, and he let out a soft breath.

"This intermediate-lower tier talisman is indeed much more intricate than the beginner-upper tier ones.

It only took me six days to decipher and comprehend the beginner-upper tier Seal Sword Symbol.

In contrast, I've spent over twenty days on this Xuan Water Spirit Talisman, partly due to the limited time I've had, but also because of the complexity of the talisman.

After cultivating the Refine God Technique, Chu Ning felt his divine sense fully restored, and it even seemed to be growing stronger.

He turned his attention inward to his Niwan Palace and saw that one of the hundred drops of divine sense liquid had grown to the size of the undiluted droplet from when he first started cultivating the Refine God Technique.

Seizing the opportunity, Chu Ning checked the progress of several cultivation techniques in his mind and gained a clear understanding of his current state.

【Blazing Fire Divine Wood Technique (High-Rank Xuan Tier), First Layer (35/5000)】

【Nine Transforming Body Refinement Manual, First Volume, Sinew Strengthening 702/1500】

【Refine God Technique, Second Layer 145/2000】

Chu Ning estimated that once the Blazing Fire Divine Wood Technique reached 100% proficiency, all his spiritual energy would have been transformed into Wood and Fire dual-attribute spiritual energy.

At the current rate of less than 1% increase per day, it would still take quite some time.

His cultivation of the body refinement technique had been stagnant recently.

As for the Refine God Technique, he speculated that once all the hundred drops of divine sense liquid reached the size of the original undiluted droplet, his proficiency would reach 2000.

That goal was also still quite far off, but for now, the Refine God Technique, combined with the Analyze Spirit Fruit, was increasing by about 2 points per day, making it one of the faster-growing techniques.

For Chu Ning, who had always cultivated at a rapid pace, this new pace was a bit of a test of endurance.

However, he chose to view it as a way to temper his mental fortitude.

After completing his cultivation of the Refine God Technique, Chu Ning was about to get up and move around when he suddenly opened his eyes and glanced nonchalantly toward the western woods, his body remaining still.

After a while, Li Song, who was sitting on a branch high up in a tree, suddenly shouted, "Horse thieves! Be on guard!"

As he shouted, Li Song leaped down from the tree, drawing the dagger at his waist.

The rest of the group, upon hearing Li Song's shout, also jumped up and unsheathed their weapons.

"What's going on? Are there horse thieves?"

At that moment, Cheng Jinhe climbed out of the carriage, his face filled with worry.

Obviously, the last thing he wanted was an unexpected incident like this.

"Boss Cheng, get back into the carriage and hide. There are quite a few thieves this time, so we'll have to put in some effort."

As Li Song spoke, he glanced at Chu Ning and the others, the implication clear—it was time for them to show their strength.

Chu Ning nodded in response, and the others followed suit.

Just then, a group of masked men, numbering seventy or eighty, charged out from the woods.

"Kill!"

With a roar, the two sides clashed.

Chu Ning, brandishing his giant sword, joined the fray.

Untrained in worldly martial arts, he naturally didn't know any techniques.

However, to his eyes, all their movements were full of openings.

And that was all he needed!

With casual swings of his giant sword, Chu Ning either smashed the bones of the horse thieves near him or precisely slashed their necks, causing their heads to drop.

In the blink of an eye, he had killed five or six of them.

Seeing no one near him, Chu Ning flashed to the rear of the caravan.

Compared to the front, the escorts at the back were clearly weaker and were struggling to hold their ground.

Only the deputy leader, Yao Rong, with his twin swords, was attracting the attention of several horse thieves, preventing them from hurting the other escorts.

But the situation changed completely when Chu Ning joined the battle.

The escorts watched in astonishment as Chu Ning effortlessly cut down the horse thieves like a hot knife through butter.

With a few more swings of his sword, there were only four horse thieves left, the ones surrounding Yao Rong.

Chu Ning's figure blurred as he moved at four-tenths the speed of the Thunderstep, causing the onlookers to feel a flash before their eyes.

The next moment, he appeared beside Yao Rong.

With a swing of his heavy sword, two more horse thieves lost their heads.

Seeing this, the remaining two turned to flee.

Chu Ning casually flicked his sword, and two bowl-sized stones shot out like bullets, striking the fleeing horse thieves in the back.

"Puh!"

The two thieves spat out mouthfuls of blood and collapsed.

The escorts stared, dumbfounded, at the scene before them. They turned to Chu Ning, their eyes filled with shock and awe.

Such strength was truly astonishing to them.

"We're outnumbered! Run!"

At that moment, the remaining horse thieves seemed to realize their dire situation, and their leader shouted.

Immediately, the surviving thieves scattered.

A few of the escorts wanted to give chase, but Li Song immediately shouted to stop them.

"Don't chase a defeated enemy!"

After the horse thieves fled, Li Song, along with Hu Shaohai, Han Wangan, and the others, turned their gazes to Chu Ning.

During the battle, everyone had been busy fighting, but they were also strong enough to observe what was happening around them.

They had all witnessed Chu Ning's casual yet deadly display of skill as he cut down the horse thieves, and they were impressed.

"Brother Chu, what impressive martial arts!"

Du Huarong, the middle-aged woman, was the first to voice her admiration, a complex look in her eyes.

Han Wangan, his eyes wide, exclaimed, "I counted. There were thirty thieves, and you killed thirteen of them all by yourself!

Thank goodness I didn't try to spar with you earlier; that would've been asking for a beating!"

Although Yu Zhengchun, the gray-clad middle-aged man, Dai Zu'en, the skinny man with a whip, and Shen Shaohai, the most talkative of the group, remained silent, the looks they gave Chu Ning were filled with wariness.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end